Ad Hoc Tuah Part Three-ah.
A little late reporting this, but it appears that last week the Fullerton City Council appointed three members to the newly created Let’s Have A Sales Tax Committee, the brain child of Shana Charles and Fred Jung and Ahmad Zahra.
The item started out with a fizzle but got better as the hearing progressed. It appears that only three people applied. Charles and fellow committee-creator Ahmad Zahra couldn’t even find anybody to appoint. Charles who was in a big hurry to get this going only spoke to one person, who wisely declined. Zahra likewise failed find anybody and suggested the whole thing be re-advertised. It doesn’t seem to have occurred to these two worthies that 1) nobody applied because nobody cares; or, 2) people realize what a footling exercise this is.
But wait a minute. Maybe Charles’ genie is better off out of the bottle
Nick Dunlap said he was ready to go and appointed Jack Dean, a long-time anti-tax crusader who’s been around the Fullerton scene for a long time and knows the city. Apparently, he was active in the Great Recall of 1994. This makes sense since Dunlap correctly identified the whole process as a slow roll toward an inevitable tax proposal conclusion. Bruce Whitaker nominated a guy named Bill Brown who I don’t know anything about, but who I presume is another fiscal conservative.
Then came the real fun. Fred Jung, who was in zoom mode, nominated Tony Bushala, the founder of this blog in 2008, and who is well known for his huge roll in killing the last sales tax proposal, Measure S, in 2020, as well as the school bond attempts in the same year. It’s now pretty obvious that Jung’s role in this affair is to pull the plug out of the socket.
When the vote came, Zahra petulantly voted no to the three members appointment. He didn’t bother to say why. Charles simply said she’d be appointing her member later. The approval was 4-1 and we have three members to Ad Hoc Whatever It’s Called Committee.
So now the Committee exists and has a quorum. I wonder if they can’t start holding meetings as soon as they like. They can also start talking about ways to save money that the staff won’t touch, like a levy on all downtown bars/clubs open after ten P.M. to recoup something from the horrible 1.5 million annual red ink sink hole known as downtown Fullerton. Or they could discuss the elimination of the so-called downtown police Echo Unit that has caused as much trouble as it has prevented.
They might also discuss salary freezes, something all businesses do when times get tough.
Both Charles and Zahra know that if their chosen candidate, Vivian Jaramillo, is elected they can replace Whitaker’s appointment in December and get the tax train back on its predetermined rails. But if that doesn’t happen, this committee could surprise the employees in City Hall by coming up with some really inventive ideas.
This committee may never even meet. And I’m pretty sure it won’t until Zahra and Charles have a reliable majority.
File this one under the law unintended consequences.
Haha. Bushala. Wait ’til Skania and Sharon Kennedy have a conniption fit.
They could also eliminate the completely useless “economic development” employees in City Hall who cost WAY MORE THAN THEY BRING IN, WHICH IS VIRTUALLY NOTHING.
which positions are you talking about?
I don’t know, specifically, but there is a “division” dedicated to it and somebody is picking up the phone.
“The Economic Development Division seeks to improve economic prosperity by ensuring that the economy grows in ways that strengthen Fullerton’s industries, retain and create jobs with self-sufficient wages, increase average income, and stimulate economic investment.
Economic Development plans, organizes, and directs economic development programs, projects and activities. These efforts are focused on supporting and enhancing the overall economic well-being of the community. A vibrant economy improves the quality of life enjoyed by Fullerton residents and enhances the financial stability of the City.
For more information, click on the Economic Development topics tab to the left, email or call at (714) 738-6837.”
This division has NEVER been held accountable for its activities in an objective way. It’s jus a reliable crutch for libs and psuedo-conservatives to lean on.
They could also restructure the fire department into a privatized EMS department like Placentia did and save millions every year. No need for a sales tax measure. Fullerton doesn’t have a revenue problem, it has a hero problem.
Hero, Deserve.
OMG what a Fullerton clusterfuck.
I wonder if this ad hoc tuah committee will disappear like the UP Park ad hoc tuah committee. That was a yank fest, too.
Sometimes comedy just writes itself.
You got that right, Matt!
Stop Bushala! Fullerton is not for sale.
So Zahra has no member? Makes sense.
I believe Bill Brown was a witness to the murder of Hector Hernandez by the dog-cop Jonathan Ferrell and the other FPD gang.
Make no mistake, the idea for this committee is the brainchild of the hapless Eric Leavitt as a means to help him keep the sales tax conversation on life support. Without any established guardrails and formed in a shoot from the hip fashion means the commission is free to discuss or examine just about anything they like – including restructuring the fire department into a privatized EMS service provider as well as privatizing and cutting costs in other aspects of the city apparatus. Why should this committee focus only on a sales tax measure? Shouldn’t a deep dive into the source of the City’s red ink be an important part of this conversation and analysis? In the right hands, this committee could be quite lethal.
Be careful what you wish for…you might just get it.
“restructuring the fire department into a privatized EMS service”
Yes, what a good idea. Zahra and Charles would have a shit fit but Fullerton could close a big chunk of the deficit.
I’m going to do a post on good ideas – real ideas, not freeway sign management crapola.
The Committee is the best idea since ! They can tell us what is the purpose of and who are part of the “Economic Development Division”. There used to be an Ecomomic Development Committee but at some point years ago Staff didn’t like sharing the thinking with the people that were appointed to it. Staff wants what Staff wants but they couldn’t get enough public pensioners appointed so they disbanded it.
It’s really astounding to me that an “economic development” function even exists without any cost/benefit analysis. I know your garden variety repug and boohoo accepts it as common sense – you know, “it must work or it wouldn’t be there.”
Jung and Dunlop should know better. Whitaker should absolutely have known better, given his self-advertised political stance. They could have addressed this in 2012.